Kenji has been involved in the Occupy Oakland movement for a while now. It was he who produced the meme-ing postcards about the central Oakland square, called Frank Ogawa Plaza, which Occupy Oakland renamed to "Oscar Grant Plaza" after the young man who was shot by a policeman while facedown on the ground, causing protests and riots in January 2009. His postcards pointed out that Frank Ogawa, a legislator, was also interned during WWII, and his being deposed from his post by Oscar Grant wasn't necessarily an example of historical justice.

Kenji's also producing a series of images, which you can see on his Facebook design page, relating more directly to the Occupy movement.

But you know me: it's the politically motivated toponymy that really gets my juices flowing. I know from experience to expect from Kenji this quality of political/cultural critique in the form of innovative art projects. But it's how OWS is getting the creative juices gushing all over the place that really tells me this movement has legs. I think urban toponymy and memorialization -- and especially the discussions that surround them -- are markers of a healthy, active, living polity. That is, a polity composed of engaged citizens, who are engaged with their environment in the broadest sense of the word: geographical, ecological, political, and cultural.

Kenji's map has also made clear to me something I hadn't thought of before: that OWS is a political movement that takes metonymy -- basically a system of geographical metaphors -- at utterly face value. Wall St -- the concept, as opposed to "Main Street" -- is the center of power. "Wall Street" the center of power is inaccessible to them. So protesters made the geographical location into a reverse metonym for "Wall Street" the banking industry, and occupied it. They can't access the center of power, so they occupy its physical symbol. This is why the locations of the various occupations are so important to both sides. And why a physical occupation is so important to the movement at this stage.

It's important for more than just this reason, of course. The failure of broad-based political movements over the past decade or so, and especially during wartime; the transferance of our base of cultural communications to the internet, and the attempt to organize people politically on the internet -- an only moderate success; and the accession of a new generation of young adults who have never engaged in political movements, have all made face-to-face, real-time, real-place politics exciting and essential.

And in the wake of the worst wave of defaults, repos, and evictions since the Great Depression, moral ownership of place is profoundly emotional. I haven't seen anyone considering this (although I'm sure many have) but for the first time since the colonization of North America, we have a generation reaching adulthood with a seriously questionable prospect of land ownership. In the same way that you see homeless people walking slowly across busy streets, forcing traffic to slow and stop for them, OWS is forcing a momentary ownership of public space by people who mostly don't own space.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

just another quick drop-in here: the somewhat controversial Village Voice article "White America Has Lost Its Mind" (quick aside: love that the title is declarative rather than interrogative, as most such articles are) had the above map of the fearful white mind included. Kinda fun.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

i don't know why I didn't post this back in February when I found it. Probably had some grand plans for commentary which collapsed in the face of actual paying work. I have, of course, also lost track of the source of this link.

The proposal has angered longtime residents who have worked hard to
promote the district as a Korean cultural destination and economic hub.
City officials, meanwhile, worry that neither side is taking into
account the full diversity of an area that is also home to many Latinos
and Thai Americans, among others.

More than a name is at stake. Although largely symbolic, the
recognition afforded by a special district designation can help
establish a community within the cultural mosaic of Southern
California, said Hamid Khan, executive director of the nonprofit South
Asian Network. When noted on maps and street signs, it can also attract
visitors and help local business.

I remember visiting Koreatown throughout the 90s, and all anyone ever said was that there were more Latinos than Koreans in Koreatown.

I think such district naming has less to do with who actually lives there, and more to do with recognizing a particular minority that is (supposedly) only found there. There are no efforts to name Koreatown anything Latino because all of LA is considered Latino.

Two things may be happening here: the first is that Koreans are no longer perceived as being restricted to Koreatown. Perhaps Korean businesses and residents have become so ubiquitous, that they're now perceived to be a universal LA minority, rather than one contained within their enclave. The second is that, in the past decade, Bangladeshis have become a substantial minority.

Although the 2000 census counted just 157 Bangladeshis in Koreatown, a
survey conducted five years later by the South Asian Network and the
UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research suggested a population
of 6,000 to 8,000, Khan said. Since then, the Bangladeshi American community says that its numbers have swelled to more than 10,000.

I'm not commenting on what's right here, just on how demographics are changing. Used to be, immigrants of color took over enclaves from European immigrant groups; now they're taking them over from each other. So much for API solidarity.

Sure there are a lot of Korean businesses and community centers in this area. But the area is still mostly black. And the Korean businesses aren't concentrated. Some of the best restaurants are above 35th, and there's a strip mall around 40th. Also, ground zero for the primarily white gallery center of Oakland's monthly Art Murmur event, is between Grand and 26th along Telegraph. So an argument could be made for this area being designated some sort of artist game preserve.

I don't really care what it's called, but I see the issues, is what I'm saying. I guess they need to designate someplace Koreatown -- if they need to do it at all -- but the area chosen seems somewhat random ... or maybe simply chosen so as not to step on toes. Get much above 40th and you're into the "Temescal" shopping district. They already have banners. Get much below Grand and you're into the new condos-and-entertainment district called "Uptown." They've already sunk a lot of money into bringing the downtown "Uptown" back ... money that's looking like thrown away since the subprime mortgage crisis.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

The one I've had my eye on for a while is Design: e2, "the Economies of Being Environmentally Conscious," a PBS show about sustainable architecture around the world. (Actually, the show is "e2" and the "design" portion of it is about architecture. The architecture series was the first season, in 2006, and the show is now in its 3rd season. The "Design" part appears to be the only season that's available on Hulu, just so you know.)

It's fashionably shot, with the pictures desaturated of color, the edges of the frames out of focus, and slick, generic images of cities and scenes looking curiously static as they combine with Brad Pitt's voice overs. I don't like the stock-photo aesthetic, but I have to admit that it's easier on the eyes -- particularly when you're trying to pay attention to concepts -- than your standard documentary-style show. And most of the talking is done by talking heads -- architects, critics, curators -- while Pitt's voice overs frame the show and add pseudo-poetic touches ("What would Walt Whitman say about sustainable skyscrapers?" Seriously? Is that because Whitman's the only American poet they can be sure their audience will recognize? Did they need to Insert Poet Here?)

The Green Apple, their first episode, focuses on sustainable buildings in New York. This means: 4 Times Square, the new Bank of America building, and the residential complex of Battery Park City. The series, as exemplified here, doesn't tell a story, but rather goes for case studies. But the show tries to dumb the information down to be palatable. This is the worst of both worlds: a narrative structure can carry a lot of information and make it go down easily; a case study structure doesn't move/flow like a narrative, so it has to be interesting and full of information. Neither is fulfilled here, so there are awkward moments when a talking head is trying to say less than they could say in the same amount of time, and there are long explanation sequences when everything is told vaguely and abstractly. It's boring. The show wastes what little time it has, yet seems to drag often.

But there are good arguments made here. Various talking heads point out that high-density cities like New York are far more energy efficient than any low-density residential areas. The products of energy -- heat, light -- are shared willy nilly, and with environmentally conscious design, can become even more efficient.

The second episode, "Green for All," is very different, focusing on a project involving ridiculously photogenic architecture students designing sustainable homes from local materials for poor third world folks, in this case, the Yaqui Indians. Yes, it's another fine episode of "What These People Need Is a Honky," but relatively inoffensive at that, because the focus of the show is not on the political or social dynamics of bringing sustainable architecture to dirt-poor indigenous Mexicans, but on the design itself, which is actually pretty cool.

Of course, the design is underlain by the political and social dynamic, and the hierarchy of personality in this episode is distinctive, and disgusting. Architect Sergio Palleroni is not merely profiled, but gaggingly worshipped, both by the show and by his gaggle of beautiful architecture students. It's all about the genius of Palleroni, not coincidentally a white man. The beautiful architecture students, although mostly male, occupy the position of the beautiful white female in this narrative: adoring, help-meeting, eye-candyish. And, of course, the student picked out to be profiled and followed is, indeed, a lovely young, blonde woman. Yak.

At the bottom of the pole is the Yaqui Indians who populate many frames, but are not identified by name or personality. A translator is interviewed, and some of the grateful recipents of Palleronian largesse are interviewed, as the camera invades their homes. Argh.

Nevertheless, the design is fascinating, the ideas are wonderful, and I only wish that Palleroni and company thought to educate Mexicans in how to design and build their own homes, rather than blonde Texans.

I didn't get any farther than this in my watching because, at base, this show is a bit boring. It goes for generic, as I said above, and achieves it. The design of the show itself, its aesthetic, is very IKEA. I was interested in the ideas, but the show throws as many obstacles between the viewer and the ideas as it does bridges. I'm glad this show was created, but I hope, like reality TV, sustainability TV proliferates, and improves along the way.

Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing throughout Metropolitan Regions

Poverty

Establish 'Promise Neighborhoods' for Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Increase the Minimum Wage

Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit

Help Low-Income Workers Enter the Job Market

Livability of Cities

Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities

Control Superfund Sites and Data

Use Innovative Measures to Dramatically Improve Efficiency of Buildings

Foster Healthy Communities

Urban Education

Support Teachers in Urban Schools

Expand Early Childhood Education

Reduce the High School Dropout Rate

Crime and Law Enforcement

Support Local Law Enforcement

Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Supports

End the Dangerous Cycle of Youth Violence

Address Gun Violence in Cities

Homeland Security

Allocate Funds Based on Risk

Prepare Effective Emergency Response Plans

Improve Interoperable Communications Systems

Safeguard Mass Public Transportation

Families

Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families

Strengthening Fatherhood and Families

Support Parents with Young Children

Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities

Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

Cap Outlandish Interest Rates on Payday Loans and Improve Disclosure

Encourage Responsible Lending Institutions to Make Small Consumer Loans

Well my first -- and perhaps only -- comment is: wow, Obama's a man of his time, isn't he? Or maybe: Obama's a man of my time. And that is a time of general, upper-middle class fascination with geography, urbanism, city planning, and the trappings of such. I've said it before and I'm saying it now. And let me add: this fascination is now officially shaping national domestic and foreign policy.

Go to the agenda area of his White House website and have a look through it. "Urban policy" is (tied with "Homeland Security") hands down the longest, most departmentalized, and most detailed policy category, andthat includes "foreign policy." ("Technology" and "Women" tie for second -- this is by feel, by the way. I didn't actually count lines or bullet points.)

This is because he's filtering all city-related issues through the lens of urban policy, and not splitting them off by themselves. Yes, there are separate agenda sections on economy, poverty, education, families, and homeland security, but each of these addresses these issues in a different way from how they are addressed in the urban policy section. This, my lovelies, is how a community organizer from Chicagoland sees the world. I can't wait until somebody comes up with an Obama map of the United States.

I'll be updating as Da Prez starts issuing commands and making good. This ought to be interesting.

Monday, January 26, 2009

One of my favorite sites is the Baby Name Wizard site, where you can find out neat stuff about American baby names. Yes, I know, it sounds boring, but it's really not. First of all, the site features the Namevoyager, a widget that contains the 1000 most popular baby names in the US of each year since 1880. You can type a name into the voyager and see the progress of the name's popularity over the past 130 years. (Yes, go there immediately and type in your name. It's a trip. Here's where I blogged about my name. Turns out I was named at the absolute nadir of my name's popularity.)

But the fun doesn't end there. Wizard Laura Wattenberg keeps a blog (she's written books on this stuff. She's an expert) in which she analyzes the current naming trends, comments on celebrity names (like Track and Trig), and talks about stuff like regional naming patterns. In fact, she's come up with a map of the naming regions of the United States. Look:

(Are you sure I haven't posted about this before, Google blog search?) You can get a partial explanation here, but I think the rest is in her book.

The blog is some of the best cultural analysis I've seen in the blogosphere -- and through a unique lens. She also has a baby name wiki on the site.

The site's latest nifty application is the Namemapper, where you can type in a name and see the states of the Union -- since 1960 -- where the name appeared in the top 1000. Basically, you can track the trek of the name through the country in popularity. The image at the top of this post is, of course, the Namemapper tracking the popularity of my name since 1960. Yeah, it blossomed in the "Midwestern Reserve" and the "Creative Fringe," and wandered from there. It's never quite made it to the "Spanish South" or the "Neotraditionals."

You don't have to have a baby to be interested in this stuff. Wattenberg's latest blog post analyzes red state and blue state names, which are the opposite of what you'd think: red state names are newly coined and daring; blue state names are traditional. Looking at a variety of data she tells us that this is because blue state parents are far more likely to be older, red staters to be younger. And she goes from there to point out that, while political opinions and values between red and blue are closer than ever, the perception of a divide is greater than ever ... but that might just be because the average age difference of mothers in red and blue (20 and 22 in 1970; 22 and 27 in 2000) is widening. It's a "life story gap," not a values gap.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Oops, I neglected to publish this a couple of weeks ago. Sorry! I'll follow up on this soon.

weird. Obama has dedicated this whole broadcast to building up HUD in the public mind. He even acknowledges -- vaguely -- HUD's bullshit "urban renewal" policies.

But then, right before he announces his selection of Sean Donovan as his new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, he says this, which I can't help taking as a blueprint for not just his HUD policy, but his financial development policy: "promoting cities as the backbone of regional growth, by not only solving the problems in our cities, but seizing the opportunities in our growing suburbs, exurbs, and metropolitan areas."

Of course, I think the blueprint is just this part: "promoting cities as the backbone of regional growth," while the rest is a his sop to diversity.

Fascinating that Obama has taken a crisis that's understood as a financial crisis -- the mortgage crisis -- and started pushing instead an agenda that makes it an affordable housing crisis. I'll lay 50 to 1 this was on his agenda four years ago and he would have found a way to make it stick no matter what happened. Smart.

The books one reads in childhood, and perhaps most of all the bad and good bad books, create in one's mind a sort of false map of the world, a series of fabulous countries into which one can retreat at odd moments throughout the rest of life, and which in some cases can survive a visit to the real countries which they are supposed to represent.
-- George Orwell

Geography and space are always gendered, always raced, always economical and always sexual. The textures that bind them together are daily re-written through a word, a gaze, a gesture.
-- Irit Rogoff